Halal butchers under threat from superstores

British butchers panic at mall mania
Sajeda Momin
Wednesday, June 18, 2008  03:12 IST

The latest victims of the march of the supermarkets are halal
butchers. Before the advent of large American superstores selling
everything under one roof, every British high street had at least one
independent butcher patronised by locals for their daily dose of meat.

With the advent of Muslims from South Asia, a halal butcher also become
a must in the high streets of Asian dominated areas.

However once supermarket chains began to mushroom all over the
country selling frozen meat at cheap prices, the English butcher was
forced out of business.

However the halal butcher survived as it
catered to a niche market, often being the only source of fresh organic
meat in an area. But with supermarket chains like Asda and Tesco
running pilot programmes selling halal meat in stores in Asian areas,
they have threatened this business too.

The loss of the halal butcher
will not only be another blow to the great British high street, but it
will be also kill another small business run mostly by British Asians.

And on another subject

Who says Indian women have fewer rights than their counterparts in
the West? Indian mothers can breast feed their baby in public without
worrying that they are breaking the law. Not so in the UK. Here women
who breast feed their little dears in public places like restaurants or
bars can be charged under indecency legislation. But ministers are
changing that with the new Equality Bill which will make it an offence
to stop any woman from breastfeeding a baby up to the age of six months
in public. Perhaps it was because of the old law that the Britain had
the lowest breast feeding rate in Europe. But now they know ‘breast is
best’!

And yet another

Emmy award winner Amy Winehouse needs spiritual help to get over her
drug addiction says her Indian origin guitarist. Robin Banerjee a.k.a.
Burnin’ Bobby B, who had performed, toured and recorded with the jazz
and soul singer until August 2007, says Winehouse is electrifying when
she is on stage. But the woman with the huge beehive has had more
inches of newsprint lately for her addiction to drugs then for her
singing. “I don’t think deep down she is ready for a change yet,” said
Banerjee. “I don’t believe will-power works in this situation.
Something’s got to touch you, a higher force. She needs a spiritual
intervention somewhere,” he added. Any takers?